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Dear Friends Fr. Stuart Chipolina

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2 Share the magazine with friends all round the world this year www.uponthisrock.eu Share the magazine with friends all round the world this year www.uponthisrock.eu

Dear Friends Fr. Stuart Chipolina

Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess

Media Ltd, Gibraltar.Editor: Fr. Stuart Chipolina:

[email protected] Production Editor: A. Sargent

[email protected]: The statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in The Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned. It was

installed by Bishop Fitzgerald after the renovation in 1929. It is Italian, white marble, with the hands and face painted by a local artist. This statue replaced an earlier baroque

terracotta statue. Photo: A. Sargent.

Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: 200 79335 email: [email protected] Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration.

Simeon sees the Light...

After Jesus’ birth, Mary fulfills the Jewish right of purification

after childbirth. Since she could not afford the customary offering of a lamb, she gives instead two pigeons as an offering of the poor. This rite, along with circumcision and the redemption of the first-born point to the fact that children are gifts from God. Jesus was born in an ordinary home where there were no luxuries. Like all godly parents, Mary and Joseph raised their son in the fear and wisdom of God. He, in turn, was obedient to them and grew in wisdom and grace. The Lord’s favour is with those who listen to his word with trust and obedience. Do you know the joy of submission to God? And do you seek to pass on the faith and to help the young grow in wisdom and maturity?What is the significance of Simeon’s encounter with the baby Jesus and his mother in the temple? Simeon was a just and devout man who was very much in tune with the Holy Spirit. He believed that the Lord would return to his temple and renew his chosen people. The Holy Spirit also revealed to him that the Messiah and King of Israel would also bring salvation to the Gentile nations. When Joseph and Mary presented the baby Jesus in the temple, Simeon immediately recognized this humble child of Bethlehem as the fulfilment of all the messianic prophecies, hopes, and prayers. Inspired by the Holy Spirit he prophesied

that Jesus was to be “a revealing light to the Gentiles”. The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to those who are receptive and eager to receive him. Do you recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord with you?Jesus is the new temple (John 1:14; 2:19-22). In the Old Testament God manifested his presence in the “pillar of cloud” by day and the “pillar of fire” by night as he led them through the wilderness. God’s glory visibly came to dwell over the ark and the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38). When the first temple was built in Jerusalem, God’s glory came to rest there (1 Kings 8). After the first temple was destroyed, Ezekiel saw God’s glory leave it (Ezekiel 10). But God promised one day to fill it with even greater glory (Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 8-9). That promise is fulfilled when the “King of Glory” himself comes to his temple (Psalm 24:7-10; Malachi 3:1). Through Jesus’ coming in the flesh and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we are made living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Ask the Lord to renew your faith in the indwelling presence of his Spirit with you. And give him thanks and praise for coming to make his home with you.Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied to Mary about the destiny of this child and the suffering she would undergo for his sake. There is a certain

paradox for those blessed by the Lord. Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. She received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fuelled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises. Jesus promised his disciples that “no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way. Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith and trust?Simeon was not alone in recognizing the Lord’s presence in the temple. Anna, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was found daily in

the temple, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about God’s promise to send a redeemer. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age! Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfil all his promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age. Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna’s hope in God and his promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God’s promises fuelled her indomitable zeal and fervour in prayer and service of God’s peopleGod Bless youFr Stuart

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Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant

Gibraltar Youth to fly the Flag at Windsor

Shortly before this edition of Upon this Rock

went to press, word came through from Windsor Castle that a contingent of Youth

from Gibraltar would join the march of the Commonwealth Nations on the 13th of May, before the Queen.

1953 Photos RequiRed The Director of the Pageant has specifically asked for photo-graphs from the time when the Queen visited Gibraltar on her Commonwealth Tour in 1953. A selection of these images will be used on the large screens at the

event in Windsor.In re-creating Gibraltar’s National Costume note will be taken of work done by Geraldine Finlayson at the Gibraltar Museum. Readers may follow the progress in our pages between now and the event in May. The inclusion of a group from Gibraltar in this event came about due to efforts to help the Kijani Kenya Trust to fundraise for a contingent from Kenya to participate in the Jubilee. This activity has led to our young people being able to join in too. This is an example of the family of Commonwealth Nations working together, and

in the words of the song so often sung by Kiri Te Kanawa, “Its the world in union, the world as one, as we climb to reach our destiny, a new age has begun’.

tickets still available The Trust has seats next to the Royal Box, which include access to VIP seating in the Royal hospitality area. Alterna-tively, for those who are keen to climb the tree where Princess Elizabeth heard she had become Queen, rooms at Tree Tops Hotel, including the Princess Elizabeth Suite, will be given to the Kijani Trust for the nights of the Pageant. There are only very limited

numbers of tickets available. If you would like to attend the Jubilee Pageant, please contact Angela Sargent on Tel: 20079335. More about the work of the Kijani Trust: www.kijanikenyatrust.org

Young people in Gibraltar national Costume to join an international youth march before Her Majesty.


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The

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el Lay Carmelites, his-torically known as the ‘Third Order’ are lay

people who, in response to a special call from God, freely and deliberately promise to live the evangelical life in the spirit of the Carmelite Order and under its direction. Within their state in life, they seek to live in the presence of God 24 hours a day. In fact, the entire Carmelite family, in its task of living out its consecra-tion to Christ, seeks to live in the presence of the living and true God who, in the person of Christ, lives in our midst; it is a family that seeks divine

intimacy.Lay Carmelites, imbued with the spirit of the Order, try to live its charism in a silent listening to the Word, making their whole life a prayer by allowing them-selves to be caught up by the Spirit for the wonderful works that God accomplishes and which require their commitment and worthwhile contribution.Lay Carmelites, according to the constant tradition of Carmel, are to cultivate in the greatest degree possible prayer in all its forms: mental prayer and aspirational prayer, as well as the traditional practices.Above all they should learn

from the Virgin how to praise the Lord and to rejoice in God their Saviour in their ordinary daily life.

Mr John Berry, Provincial Delegate of the Third Order of Carmelites will be coming to Gibraltar on the 24th February 2012, to help in the process of commencing a Third Order of Carmelites.On Saturday 25th February, there will be a special Mass held at St. Bernard’s Church at 4 pm which will be presided by His Lordship the Bishop, Ralph Heskett. During this Mass, two Gibraltarians will be officially

received into the Third Order by the Provincial Delegate,in the presence of His Lordship the Bishop. John Berry will also be addressing the congregation about the Third Order and the Carmelite spirituality.It will be a very joyous occasion, and anyone who feels called to the Third Order of Carmelites in Gibraltar, is invited to attend this Mass!Afterwards, there will be tea/cof-fee and biscuits in St. Bernard’sChurch hall for those wishing to know more about the Third Order.For further information, you can contact either Elizabeth Chipolina on 20046705 (dur-ing office hours), mobile: 54003987; or Ana MariaHayden on 20071748, mobile: 54018508.

Do you feel a calling?

Third order of Carmelites in GibraltarWhat is a Lay

Carmelite?

NOVENAIglEsIA DEl sAgrADO

COrAzON DE JEsus

EN hONOr A lA VIrgEN DE

lOurDEs 3-11 FEbrErO 2012 a las 6 de la tarde


Glenda Born in Parral, Chile, is daughter of two teachers and the

second of four siblings. She was inquisi t ive as an adolescent, a member of the local branch of the Red Cross. She was also interested in ecology and became president of her class in secondary school. She also enjoyed athletics, particularly volleyball. Her closest friends remember her for having a special

charisma, which made her popular in all the schools in which she studied. It was during these early years that she began to sing with two friends in school plays and city festivals.

Her Christian journey Glenda started to attend mass at the cathedral of Linares where her liturgical music was very appreciated. During this time, the current bishop of Linares

asked her to record a cassette with all of the songs that she played during mass and at Eu-charistic adoration. Years later, when Glenda was studying in Rome, the same bishop bumped into her and reminded her of this cassette which, for Glenda, represented yet another sign that the Church blessed her evangeli-zation efforts through music. In 1985, when she was 14 years of age, she decided to draw closer to Christ in order to know him better. This was against her father’s wishes, and contrary to the general ambiance of her secondary school where there were very few catholic students. Everything around her pointed to learning about beliefs and philosophies other than the Catholic faith. At this age, she composed her first songs which were love songs for her boyfriend, later on her songs would be inspired by her encounter with Christ. She began to sing at Sunday Mass in the Cathedral of her city, and, through this budding ministry, little by little, she drew closer

to God. She would stay and contemplate the cross after mass asking our Lord “Is it true that you have died for me? “ “What is the meaning of life?”and “Why?”When she won the first prize in a diocesan music festival, she received a copy of Holy Scripture and upon reading it she had her first personal experience with God. It was then that she decided to go and work in the women’s prison in Linares. She was refused at first, because she was only fifteen years old but Glenda insisted and the authorities relented, allowing her to have her first missionary experience among those who suffer. Glenda sought to communicate to others her own experience of God, asking herself “why do I experience the love of God and others don’t?” This inner call urged her to commit herself to making God known to others.Many people have influenced Glenda, but the most important influence during her adolescence was His Lordship Carlos Camus, her b ishop, who made an important contribution to her

Hermana GlendaThe bible is alive in the sounds

of this singing nun’s music. Hear her on retreat and

in concert, Gibraltar25th & 27thFebruary


Hermana Glenda

mARRiAGe enCoUnTeR A new Dimension in Your marriage The next Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th May at the Europa Retreat Centre. For further information contact: Ernest & Jane Povedano Tel. 20070976, Mob: 54007961, E-mail: [email protected] or Eliott & Macu Dobinson, Tel. 20079586, Mob: 58008309, Email: [email protected]

Forthcoming Events Joe Garcia pastoral formation. Glenda was deeply inspired by the bravery of her bishop who did not hesitate to confront those with power in order to defend the weakest members of society. Her vocationAfter this initial call to deepen her Christian faith, Glenda begins to feel a vocation to religious life. Every time that she encountered a priest, brother or a nun, she thought, “how fantastic it must be to live only for God!” On one occasion, she secretly followed a nun and got up the courage to touch the hem of her habit because she “wanted to know how it felt”.She read the bible that she had won at the music festival daily and one day God manifested himself to her and opened her eyes and her heart like he did for the Pilgrims on the way to Emmaus. She recognized the Lord and experienced his presence and his love. Glenda tells us that this was such a huge experience that it changed her life completely. From that point on, she dedicated herself to sharing this experience in the development of her ministry and in prayer. At that time she was sure of the call from the Lord who asked her to leave her family, her country, her surroundings and her boyfriend…. and to offer herself, body and soul, in his service. Glenda decided to consecrate herself to God. In 1988 she makes the difficult decision to leave her boyfriend and enter the congregation of the Sisters of the Consolation. “This is what I have always done in my life, console others, and this is what I would like to carry on doing”. She has

been consecrated to the Lord for 20 years now and strives to speak to the heart of humanity, consoling others with the same consolation that she has received from God. She spent her first years as a young sister in Chile and then was sent to Buenos Aires, where she worked with numerous youth groups. Sister Glenda studied Theology in Rome at the Gregorian University. In 2000 she was sent to Spain to study psychology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca where she earned her doctorate. God and humanity are her two great passions to which she dedicates hours of prayer and study. In Europe her work is geared towards evangelization. She has crisscrossed Spain proclaiming the message of God encouraging the youth to have a real meeting with Christ. In the same way that Mother Teresa of Calcutta left her congregation to answer another

call, Sister Glenda decided to leave her conventual religious life which had been dedicated to teaching and placed herself under the authority of the bishop of Terrassa, Spain in order to dedicate herself more completely to announcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a consecrated virgin.

Her musical ministry Although Sister Glenda recorded her first CD in 1998, “A solas con Dios” she came to public attention in 2002 when she participated in the 17th World

Youth Days in Toronto, Canada. Here she sang her signature song “Nada es imposible para ti” while Blessed John Paul II distributed Holy Communion. Since then Sister Glenda has shared her music in many countries, and most recently at the Word Youth days held in Madrid. Those who listen to Sister Glenda’s music will have no difficulty recognizing important passages of scripture taken from both the Old and the New Testaments. Sister Glenda’s music is truly a form of prayer.

sister glenda’s visit to gibraltarReTReAT On Saturday 25th February, Sister Glenda will be giving a retreat at St. Joseph’s parish at 10.00 am concluding with celebration of the Eucharist at 7.00 pm. The theme of the retreat will be preparing our hearts for Lent. The cost of the retreat is £15, which includes a packed lunch. ConCeRT On Sunday 26th February, Sister Glenda will give a concert at St. Theresa’s church at 8.00 pm for which the cost is £12 . It should be noted that both the retreat and the concert will be conducted in Spanish.TiCkeTS may be purchased for both of these events at: Isolabella Ltd., 211 Main Street, Gibraltar.Part of the proceeds of the sale of these tickets is designated for Sister Glenda’s foundation Called “Consuela a mi pueblo” which promotes humanitarian and evangelization efforts in underprivileged countries throughout the world. Should you have any questions, please contact us by e-mail at:[email protected] Telephone 56000454


Donations from Gibraltar help her make the school, ‘Fe y Alegria No. 58’ more homely.

When Sr. Patricia McLaughlin first went to Peru over

ten years ago, we promised to keep in touch. The first photos we received were awful - the school she took on is located in Jicamarca, Lima - which is a dustbowl, the school was accommodated in shacks and the children used cardboard boxes as desks.Over the years we have seen the school take shape and grow out of nothing. Children with smiling faces are seated now at proper desks, in brick school buildings. The school was built by the Fe y Alegria organisation, teachers are funded by the Peruvian Government, but Sr. Patricia relies on Mary WardInternational and friends in both her native Northern Ireland

and Gibraltar to help make the school more homely.Every Christmas, Loreto pupils are keen to offer the Peruvian children a present. This year, we are holding a festive lunch funded by Loreto School and Michael Russo, who is the caterer for the school lunches. All donations from the children will go to Sr. Patricia who will then be able to offer each child at the school a mug of hot chocolate, a bread roll and maybe even a school trip to the cinema!At Easter, 2012, teachers from Loreto Convent Gibraltar will be visiting Peru to provide in-service training for the staff. There are plans for two of the teachers from Fe y Alegria No 58 to come over to Gibraltar later in the year.

ChrIsTIAN FAMIlY MOVEMENTANNIVErsArY CElEbrATIONsThe Annual 25th, 40th, 50th & 60th Wedding Anniversary Celebrations are scheduled for the 3rd of February 2012 at the Cathedral

of St Mary the Crowned, 7.30pm.

10 Years Ago...

Today...

Loreto Convent School Gibraltar

Sr. Patricia’s work in the Peru mountains


Loreto Convent School Gibraltar Supporting Education at High Altitude

Sr. Patricia’s work in the Peru mountains


Popular belief tells us, the Catholic Church asks its married couples to have as many children as possible and we often disregard learning about the Church’s teaching about

family planning as a result. Thankfully, this is in no way reflects the actual teaching of the Mother Church and I hope this article will help dispel these myths. This is the second article in a collection exploring the Catechism’s teaching on Marriage and Family life.

What can we learn from the Catechism?Under the title “The fecundity of marriage” the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains in detail the responsibility of the couple and the regulation of births. I would recommend the interested reader to explore CCC 2366 – 2372.For this article we will explore the explanations in the new Youcat, which explains the same message, in a language easier to digest. It sets out a question and gives us a clear concise answer, thereby explaining the contents of the Catechism.

The first question to address is 417: “What sig-nificance does the sexual encounter have within marriage?According to God’s will, husband and wife should encounter each other in a bodily union so as to be united ever more deeply with one another in love and to allow children to pro-ceed from their love. [2362-2367]”The Youcat further enlightens us that:“Christianity has glorified marriage more than any other religion: and nearly all the greatest love poetry in the world has been produced by Christians. If anyone says that sex, in itself, is bad, Christianity contradicts him at once” (C.S. Lewis). Pleasure, of course, is not an end in itself. When the pleasure of a couple becomes self-enclosed and is not open to the new life that could not result from it, it no longer corresponds to the nature of love.”Another question that is often asked is 419:“How many children should a Christian married couple have?A Christian married couple has as many children as God gives them and as they can take responsibility for. [2373]All children whom God sends are a grace and a great blessing. That does not mean that a Christian couple is not supposed to consider how many children they can raise responsibly, given the health of each spouse and their economic and social situation. When a child

continued on the bottom half of the next page

Confused about the Church’s teachings?Dr. Risso helps to put us on the right track.

The Catechism and Family Planning

Women’s Health Dr. Monique Risso


comes “nevertheless”, that child should be welcomed with joy and willingness and accepted with great love. By trusting in God, many Christian couples find the courage to have a large family.”This still leaves us with the burning question 420: “May a Christian married couple regulate the number of children they have?Yes, a Christian married couple may and should be responsible in using the gift and privilege of transmitting life. [2368-2369, 2399]Sometimes, social, psychological, and medical conditions are such that in the given circumstances an additional child would be a big, almost superhuman challenge for the couple. Hence there are clear criteria that the married couple must observe: Regulating births, in the first place, must not mean that the couple is avoiding conception as a matter of principle. Second, it must not mean avoiding children for selfish reasons. Third, it must not mean that external coercion is involved (if, for example, the State were to decide how many children a couple could have). Fourth, it must not mean that any and every means may be used.”

And finally: what about contraception? What does the catechism tell us about this (question 421)? “Why are all methods of preventing the conception of a child not equally good?The Church recommends the refined methods of self-observation and natural family planning (NFP) as methods of deliberately regulating conception. These are in keeping with the dignity of man and woman; they respect the innate laws of the female body; they demand mutual affection and consideration and therefore are a school of love. [2370-2372, 2399]The Church pays careful attention to the order of nature and sees in it a deep meaning. For her it is therefore not a matter of indiffer-ence whether a couple manipulates the woman’s fertility or instead makes use of the natural alternation of fertile and infertile days. It is no accident that Natural Family Planning’ is called natural: it is ecological, holistic, healthy, and an exercise in partnership. On the other hand, the Church rejects all artificial means of contraception – namely, chemical methods (“The Pill”), continued on page 14

Taking the leap.

Saint Patrick was better at dealing with snakes than with women!

No, it is not March 17th; it is a Leap Year so being in a whimsical mood I had a rummage in the attic of my Celtic memory where I found many fragments from which I’ve tried to make a whole to explain the opening sentence. After all, it is on this story that the main tradition attached to leap years hinges. It goes like this; sometime in the fifth century AD Saint Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland and around this time too the leap year traditions began. Whilst it has nothing to do with snakes it is told (and a good story it is too) that Saint Patrick was approached by Saint Brigid, (they were not saints at this time of course) a lady not known to take ‘no’ for an answer

who straddles the boundaries between Pagan mythology and Christianity. She was protesting on behalf of the women of Ireland of the unfairness of always having to wait for the man to propose marriage. After some consideration Patrick offered her gender the opportunity to pop the question every seven years. No way said the lady and pointed out that it was a leap year so they agreed on every four years, 29th February specifically. The mind boggles a bit here because we are told that Brigid immediately proposed to Patrick (it could only happen in Ireland!) and he, very ungentlemanly refused! He did make her a present of a beautiful silk gown as a sort of consolation prize, oh dear, a woman scorned and all that. However this set the precedent for future males who, and it was

considered most unchivalrous to refuse a proposal, to pay a forfeit of the lady’s choosing if they spurned her.

That’s the story anyway and like all old tales holds an element of fact in that it was an attempt to

leap overleaf to continue

Sure, it could only happen in ireland!

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29th February 2012 Anne Mesilio


balance the roles between men and women, in the same way those leap years try to balance the calendar. It was the Ancient Egyptians who figured out that the solar year and man made calendars did not always match up. It is a bit of a fiction that the year has exactly 365 days. It takes the earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds to complete its revolution around the sun. By adding a leap year every four years the difference between the calendar and the seasons can be significantly reduced, allowing the calendar to align more accurately with the seasons. Apparently calendars used today

are far from perfect being off by hours, minutes, seconds or days every year. The Gregorian calendar, currently used by most of the world was introduced in 1582 AD. It puts the average year at 365.2425 days, thus the approximate error amounted to 27 seconds, or one day every two, 236 years. The Julian calendar 45BC put the average year at 365.25 days, thus the approximate error amounted to 11 minutes, one day every 128 years, and our ‘modern’ 365 day calendar put the error at six hours, 1 day every four years. I’m blinding myself with science here so let us take a look at birthdays, because there are at

least four million who were born on 29th February. Superman, the comic book hero, was said to have been born on this day on planet Krypton which has nothing to do with anything really but that’s the sort of trivia associated with Leap Day. Some February 29’ers choose to celebrate on 28th February, others on 1st March but however you look at it they fall into a four year void between birthdays. Were I to look closely enough I’m sure to find legal implications related to this day, like getting a driving licence which requires a legal age. In the comic opera, the Pirates of Penzance, Fredrick, the pirate apprentice discovers that he is to serve the pirates until his 21st Birthday, not till his 21st year!High in the mighty Andes mountain range a farmer was asked about the benefit of 29th February and replied; “ If you are going to give me an extra day, give it to me in July when I can use it”. Well that day will have passed in July when London hosts the Summer Olympic Games as

well as the Paralympics, but little known fact, whilst held every four years they always take place in a leap year. Rare Disease day is held every year but its official awareness day is 29th February when those suffering rare diseases with no known cure become the focus. I would hope in the spirit of all awareness days this one too focus’s on the potential instead of the limitations as its message will not be clearly available for another four years.So, we are blessed with an extra day and I would like to wish all ‘leaplings’ who fall between the years, a very Happy Birthday.

29th February 2012 Anne Mesilio


The Archconfraternity Guild of St. Stephen, who is the patron saint of altar servers, one of the first seven deacons and the Church’s first martyr, was established in 1905 in

Westminister Cathedral in London with the approval of Pope Pius X. The Guild’s one concern is promoting and supporting the highest standards of altar serving throughout the Catholic Church with the aim of making servers realize that serving at the altar is a great religious privilege. The Guild understands the underlying importance of altar serving for people in the modern era, not just to know what needs to be done during the Church’s most sacred celebrations but also why. It seeks to provide altar servers with a greater understanding of the Mass and to arrange activities for them within the parish.Membership of the Guild is open to any server, without limit of age, who can serve Mass and who has shown a wish to live up to the objects and standards of the Guild.Servers then should serve satisfactorily for a minimum of a year before being enrolled as a member of the Guild and the parish priest, or the local director of the Guild, decides whether a candidate is eligible and worthy of admission to the Guild. There is a special ceremony of enrolment into the Guild. During the ceremony the server makes a solemn promise and is presented with the Guild Medal, which is made of bronze and is worn around the neck, hanging from a red cord, which reminds us that St. Stephen was martyred because he believed in Christ. The medal means two things:• First, the parish priest, or local director of the Guild, has decided this particular server is eligible and worthy to be admitted to the Guild.• Second, the server accepts and wears the medal as a sign of commitment - commitment to serve regularly: commitment to serve as

well as possible. A commitment is a serious promise, and the server’s promise is made to God and the Church.Once a server has been enrolled into the Guild the commitment he makes is:

• To serve at the altar with reverence, understanding and regularity and with due attention to personal cleanliness and tidiness.• To say short prayers in preparation for and in thanksgiving after, serving Mass.• To observe silence in the sacristy and great reverence in the sanctuary.• To recite the Guild prayer every day.Last December on Boxing Day, the feast day of St. Stephen, three servers from the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned were enrolled into the Guild of St. Stephen, namely Aaron Mosquera, Julian De Las Heras, and Joseph Llufrio enrolled.Seen on the pictures are the newly enrolled servers into the Guild, Matthew Ferrary an active member of the Guild who was enrolled on the feast day of St. Stephen back in 2004, Robert Reading a Cathedral server who with the will of God will be enrolled this year together with Danny Bosio (not seen in the picture), and Mgr Paul Bear.If there’s anyone wishing to be an altar server at the cathedral please get in contact with Mgr. Paul Bear on 20076688.

Sheriff Electrical Contractors Ltd. Electrical Contractors Office 40/42 Cornwall’s Lane, Tel: (350) 200 79353, Fax: (350) 200 74515 E-mail: [email protected] Fire Services Division 3 Cornwall’s Parade, Tel: (350) 200 40583, Fax: (350) 200 74515 E-mail: [email protected]

A. A. Sheriff (Wholesale) Ltd. Retail 51 Engineer Lane, Tel: (350) 200 78065, Fax: (350) 200 74515 Wholesale Unit 12A, Watergardens, Tel: (350) 200 73083, Fax: (350) 200 40585 Planet Mobile Unit 12A, Watergardens, Tel: (350) 200 50063, Fax: (350) 200 40585 Offices 40/42 Cornwall’s Lane, Tel: (350) 200 40583, Fax: (350) 200 74515 E-mail: [email protected] Warehouse Unit 14, The New Harbours, Tel: (350) 200 41836, Fax: (350) 200 46344 E-mail: [email protected]

To serve Christ is to reign

Matthew Ferrary


Continued from page 11mechanical methods (for example, condom, intra-uterine device, or IUD), and surgical methods (sterilization) – since these attempt to separate the sexual act from its procreative potential and block the total self-giving of husband and wife. Such methods can even endanger the woman’s health, have an abortifacient effect (= cause a very early abortion), and in the long run can be detrimental to the couple’s love life.”Natural Family Planning is available in Gibraltar. There is availabil-ity to learn the Sympto Thermal Method and The Creighton Model FertilityCare System (Ovulation Method – also known as Fertility-Care).For further information about the article and/or to learn the Creight-on Model FertilityCare System, please contact:Dr Monique Risso MB ChB MRCGP [email protected] Practitioner and NaPro Technology Physician Specialist Medical Clinic, Unit 7, First Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 49999www.ladyofeuropefertilitycare.com To learn or enquire about the Sympto Thermal Method, please contact: [email protected]

Christmas

Bethlehem at the time of the Lord’s birth must have been crowded,

noisy and chaotic. So much so, that Joseph was unable to find anywhere other than a stable for his family to stay. This stable however was to become the welcoming place for the Saviour of the World; a ‘Sacred space’ where Peace, Joy and Love reigned despite the surrounding chaos.When requested to judge the Crib competition we all agreed with generous hearts, but without really knowing what to expect. What we encountered was the blessing of experiencing that ‘Sacred space’ amongst the chaos and frenzy that Christmas preparations often bring, despite the best intentions.Cribs ranged from large to small, from simple to elaborate; but what impressed us the most was the infectious enthusiasm,

joy, dedication, love and pride the participants demonstrated in their work. In true Llanito style we were welcomed with great hospitality and explanations of the process of making the Crib were filled with personal anecdotes and history. It was here that the TRUE meaning of Christmas becomes alive and evident. We witnessed beautiful testimonies of family members of different generations working together to maintain tradition; figurines that had been handed down through generations; and neighbours and workmates working together in bringing Christian witness to the community. We were taught that the presence of the Cross is an important part of the Crib most people don’t know about- this was reflected in the Faith, Joy, Peace and love for the Lord demonstrated by some of these

The judges talk about their experiences

Giving witness outside the church


families, despite experiences of personal illness and tragedy. We were also especially touched by a non-Christian company which generously and respectfully allowed their staff to place a Crib in the company’s reception area. This reminded us that respect for other faiths should never mean that we have to hide or undermine our own. Christmas is about welcoming Our Saviour, offering him our joys and sufferings and bringing families and communities together in a spirit of love and peace. What better way to

achieve this than by spending time putting a Crib together in community? We thank the Lord for giving us the gift of this day and proclaim EMMANUEL- God IS truly with us!!The judges comments on individual cribs are not shown.

Christmas Giving witness outside the church

Crib Competition 2011

St. Anne’s Choir

St. Bernardette’s Resource Centre

Notre Dame 2

Loreto Reception


16 Share the magazine with friends all round the world this Christmas at www.uponthisrock.eu

Documents

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